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Irhal
A Northern hunter and traveling companion to the witch Maeli Dumer, Irhal is a stranger to the Empire who simply wishes to wander wherever his feet take him. Irhal was the first character written in the world of Entropy. His name has no meaning and is not based on any specific language, having been chosen on the fly by writer/artist Neza Dinges. Biography Early Life Irhal was born to a Northern fisherman, Virhal, and his wife on the western shore of the North. His childhood was spent largely training to become a hunter. Due to the Northern caste system and his own distaste for fish, Irhal saw this as the best path forward for himself. Because of his size and quick ability to learn, Irhal quickly became one of the most honored hunter candidates. He was one of the youngest initiates ever to become a full fledged hunter, but despite this he suffered what his mentor, the Northern hero Gorund, a sharp inability to work with others. Headstrong and unwilling to listen to argument, the young Irhal often came into conflict with his fellow hunters for his oft spoken opinions. Despite these setbacks, however, Irhal was quickly hailed as one of the greatest of his generation's hunters, and received every single accolade possible for one of his caste. Exile from the North Although a great hunter and provider for his tribe, Irhal was nonetheless helpless to prevent its destruction. While on a prolonged hunting trip for Northern Caribou, Irhal became lost in a blizzard. After suffering an almost fatal fall into a hidden cave, he was confronted by a mad crone who spoke prophecies regarding the end of the world as he knew it. Although he escaped, Irhal was left with the haunting words of the crone. After finding his way back to his tribe, Irhal was dismayed to find that it had become infected with an unknown plague that had quickly and quietly eradicated all life. Unable to face the broken bodies of his wife and newly born son, Irhal took his spear and fled his village. Despite being found by a distraught Gorund and told that his honor was not considered stained by the death of his tribe, Irhal chose an Exile of Honor over assimiliation into a new tribe. Journey into the Empire Irhal arrived in the Port of Sapphires near the end of the winter, Imperial Year 595. After a short stay in the city, during which he mainly wandered the streets and lived off of rats, Irhal was forced to leave the port following a misunderstanding with one of the city governor's wives involving her prized dog. He spent shortly over two weeks travelling east out of the Port of Sapphires before coming across a bar owned by the half-ogre Borick ugh-Ashirock, where he met and defended the young witch Maeli Dumer from a group of thugs. Seeing an easy meal ticket and convenient bodyguard, Maeli lied to Irhal; telling him that she had a husband who was kidnapped during the War of Thieves. Interested by the young woman and eager to see more of the Empire, Irhal joined her on her travels.